A Honeyed Moon
by ElegantPaws
Summary: Summary:Sesshoumaru has a secret. Finale to the one shot series "The Best Woman" and its sequel "A Gentleman of Honor".


**DISCLAIMER** - The ownership and general brilliance that is the original Feudal Fairy Tale remains the property of its honored and rightfully revered creator **Rumiko Takahashi** without whose brilliance, we would not have fodder.

**A Honeyed Moon**

Reviews are fuel.

**By: ElegantPaws**

**Edited by: Minerva_One**

Dinner would be served soon and still no Sesshoumaru.

Jaken would be beside himself at this rate with worry, but it was par for the course. Kagome had come to accept these disappearances each time they visited the Lord's country estate.

The last of the sun's fading light caught the radiance of the facetted jewel nestled within the engagement band, its glimmer called to mind his eyes seen by candlelight.

Soft full lips curved into a half smile as the pad of her thumb passed over the cool, pale metal bands of platinum, a shade equally reminiscent of his hair. It had been six months to the day since they had exchanged vows of fidelity and a reticent shared passion which was copiously expressed at every turn.

Kagome gave no real conscious thought as to how long she had stood there atop the rolling hill beyond the terrace walkway watching in rapt silence the sun descending beyond the horizon, leaving in its wake a salmon colored sky holding night at bay. The untrammeled forest floor surrounding the property gave into the gloaming bit by bit, as shadows grew about her and the sounds of the nights' denizens filled the air.

She chuckled to herself. '_Silence could be noisy at times_.'

Casting her eyes slowly upward, the petite female took in the pale silver disc awaiting its turn at shared dominion over the heavens. In a matter of hours the skies above would be resplendent with shooting stars. She wondered briefly if such happenings were anything but trivial to one such as Sesshoumaru, who had seen much in the passage of time.

The sad smile that graced the dark-haired beauty's face turned mischievous as quiet footfalls announced his presence just moments before large hands encompassed her waist and the gentle caress of silvery tendrils touched her cheek.

Kagome purred contentedly, surrendering to the warmth that enveloped her, and the welcoming scent of sandalwood drifted to her nose.

"You're late, my lord. One of these days you are going to give Jaken a heart attack, not to mention me. Where were you?"

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh, promises, promises."

Kagome spun in his arms at his less than congenial retort and pinned him with a reproving glare. In no way had it been lost on her that he sidestepped her real question as to his whereabouts.

"I don't believe you sometimes. Have you no compassion at all? He does everything to please you."

Sesshoumaru huffed, narrowing his eyes.

"He is an albatross."

Always the predator and forever on guard, Sesshoumaru's eyes quickly scanned their surroundings while pulling her closer. He found nothing amiss but for the small irritating creature on the terrace furtively watching them with vague trepidation oozing from his jyaki.

'_Satisfactory_,' he thought.

Even from this distance, his retainer knew his place and displayed the right amount of fear and deference in equal measure. His pleasure, however, was short-lived. Kagome had noticeably stiffened in his grasp.

A response was apparently in order to rectify the sudden tension in the air.

"It is his place to do so, Kagome, on pain of death. Do not believe for a moment that reptilian mind of his serves without reason."

"Has it occurred to you that reason could be love?"

"Jaken is nothing more than a coward devoid of a spine. He chose of his own volition to grovel at this Sesshoumaru's feet centuries ago merely to secure protection and continue his useless life."

This compassionate streak of hers was still proving challenging, particularly with respect to the dynamic of servant and Master. The Western Lord braced himself for the inevitable sanctimonious retort.

Without guile Kagome looked up into cool amber as she carefully raised a soft palm to his cheek in a gentle caress.

"What made you like this, Sesshoumaru?"

He had not anticipated this. Her stare was unflinching and her anger had abated just as quickly as it had arisen. He saw in her gaze sadness, confusion, and what was more, compassion for him.

Sesshoumaru flinched and loosened his hold about her waist, choosing in that moment to step away from his mate. He regarded the night sky with sudden interest.

"We have an excellent night for it."

The seeming non sequitur caused Kagome to chuckle aloud. She might have known he would retreat to something abstract like the Perseid meteor shower; something that did not require of him a direct emotional response. Kami forbid a crack in that perfect veneer.

Small hands wound about his waist as she laid her head against his broad back and held him fast.

"Yes we do, and I look forward to dining al fresco on the roof. Jaken has outdone himself. I was escorted from the kitchen twice this evening for interfering in his preparations."

"Hmmm…I will speak to him."

Kagome snorted self deprecatingly.

"Sometimes, I truly question my sanity in marrying a being so contrary on principle."

Sesshoumaru slowly turned in her embrace, one brow arched in question.

"Then why did you?"

Kagome pursed her lips in feigned thought as her eyes danced with warm affection.

"Haven't a clue, my Lord."

Well formed pale lips quirked as he leaned forward and casually took the petulant lips besmirching his character in a deliberately slow, sensual kiss that left Kagome in no doubt as to why, indeed.

'_Damn, he could kiss_.'

The sultry and downright smug gaze that met hers spoke volumes. Small hands reflexively clutched his shirt in what Kagome hoped was a veiled threat should he choose to stop now.

Apparently, his point needed further clarification as to who wore the hakama in this clan.

Duty called.

With a deep reverberating growl, he lowered his head once more revealing sharp incisors that grazed her long, delicate neck, raising gooseflesh in their wake.

Kagome's moans of pleasure caused the usually stoic and somewhat taciturn CEO to chuckle as he nipped and suckled a soft velvety earlobe.

"You're evil," she breathed aloud, carding her fingers through the silken mass at the base of his skull. "Pure evil."

It was the best she could do under the circumstances since her knees weren't cooperating, and that hot tongue she had become rather fond of was doing the most sinfully delectable things to the warm valley of her cleavage.

As for his hands, well, she had discovered to her utter delight, those large, strong hands that could so easily rend, maim and otherwise destroy, had gifts all their own and were very life affirming

"That I am, Kagome." He murmured against her cleavage, before his tongue delved between her mounds eliciting a soft gasp of pleasure.

Her knees finally gave way and soon she found soft grass beneath her.

'_After dinner_' she thought, easing the shirt off his shoulders. She would pick up this point of contention after dinner, but in the meantime…

~~~ HM~~~

Jaken blinked repeatedly as he stood in a shocked stupor on the terrace, his cheeks warming with a blush as he turned away and hurried back into the living room to retrieve the phone. The individual on the other end would have to wait until morning. His Master could not be disturbed at the moment and he had final preparations to make for the evening's event.

Dinner would have to be re-heated. There was nothing for it, by the looks of things.

The kappa heard a soft feminine moan just as he stepped over the threshold. He stole another furtive glance through the billowing curtains at the two undulating figures atop the grassy mound.

His already round eyes bulged in horror. They were at it again. It was one thing to hear, quite another to see. He closed his eyes and sputtered, reeling backwards and taking with him a delicate porcelain bud vase which almost crashed to the tile but for his sudden lunge in saving it and possibly his own life in the process. It had been a rare gift from the

Inu-no-Taishou himself.

How could his noble master have come to so little a measure?

Jaken whimpered as he balled his fists and scrubbed at his bulbous eyes in a failed attempt at banishing from memory the perversely mesmerizing sight of his Master's pale backside - which rivaled the moon in its pallor.

Righting himself and replacing the vase carefully, he scurried away from the window. He had no desire to watch the rhythmic thrusts of Lord Sesshoumaru's hips that he knew at that moment were well cosseted between the smooth, curved flanks of his chosen bitch.

The little kappa waddled to the wet bar. With shaking clawed hands he retrieved a decanter and poured a generous amount of the amber liquid – purely for medicinal purposes, of course.

It seemed to do the trick as the sudden warmth of the viscous liquid coated his throat and eased his delicate nerves. He eyed the phone with a grotesquely benevolent expression as the flickering red light winked at him playfully.

'_Yes, he would handle this. No need to disturb his, Master_.' he thought, lurching towards the phone with what he hoped was a dignified gait. '_What was that odd smell, coming from the kitchen?_'

He retrieved the phone and cleared his throat to speak as smoke wafted down the hall.

~~~ HM~~~

Kagome hissed as warm water sluiced over the aching muscles of her lower back and coursed down her spine, renewing the burning sensation over her pert buttocks.

She whimpered as damp, clawed hands held her hips in check while Sesshoumaru bent and examined the red welts, sniffing them with furrowed brows.

"Hmmmm perennial…dioecious herbaceous, or in colloquial terms you would understand," he added with a swipe of his tongue to the affected area, "Stinging Nettle."

Her cheeks were blushing at him enticingly as they tensed under his tongue's languid ministrations. Just for a moment guilt assailed him. It had not been his intent to harm so delicate a creature in the heat of passion.

"Stop that! This is exactly what got me in this predicament in the first place," she hissed accusingly between clenched teeth. "Cortisone, Sesshoumaru. I need cortisone cream! I am so topping next time."

He smiled against the soft curved mound beneath his lips as her hissing abruptly ceased.

"Ooooohhhh…. Oooooooooohhhhhhhh, Sesshoumaru! Do that again."

Kagome opened her eyes, feeling more relief with each casual pass of his roughened tongue against her abused flesh. She arched into the wet, soothing warmth.

He rose behind her gracefully and whispered in her ear. "Cortisone, indeed."

She leaned back against his smooth muscled chest and relaxed, finally able to enjoy the steam and the warmth sans sting.

Kagome sighed and turned slowly into his arms, looking up at him with a sly smile.

"Pervert. You enjoyed that," she countered lazily and rested her head against his chest, long fingers gliding down his back and cupping his firm rear. "I'm hungry."

He rested his head atop hers and breathed in her pleasing scent. She was no longer in pain and this eased his conscience.

"Are you ever anything else, Kagome?" he asked matter-of-factly.

Sesshoumaru's rather indelicate observation about the bottomless pit that was his mate's stomach garnered a malicious pinch to his taut rear and in turn, a high pitched squeal of girlish laughter could be heard all the way to the kitchen, where a distraught kappa stood blubbering over a large lump of charcoal that not so long ago was to be the main course.

Jaken eyed the cutlery drawer morosely.

He had failed his Master again.

~~~ HM~~~

They dressed in companionable silence. He donned a silken kimono and she the fluffy monstrosity she favored.

Sesshoumaru eyes narrowed menacingly at the voluminous - and in his considered opinion- revolting garment. He slowed his pace as he descended the stairs while visions of the offending robe cast in the general direction of the fireplace came to mind.

Kagome turned and glared warningly.

"Remember you promised?"

"This Sesshoumaru did no such thing."

With arms akimbo, Kagome turned fully prepared for a battle of wills she did not intend to lose. Jaken had worked so very hard today. She looked cursorily over the banister toward the kitchen and lowered her voice to a mere whisper as she spoke.

"Obviously, something went wrong in the kitchen. _**We**_ agreed to pretend _**we**_ haven't noticed, my Lord," she said pointedly, and bound down the remaining few stairs with a frigid smile plastered to her face before Sesshoumaru could get a word in edgewise.

The royal "_**We**_" was not lost on the former Taiyoukai as his golden eyes passed lewdly over the plush covered rear that retreated through the kitchen doors followed seconds later by a blood curdling scream.

Sesshoumaru blinked.

It was Jaken.

~~~ HM~~~

Sesshoumaru sailed through the doors, claws at the ready in defense of his mate.

He froze mid stride.

There before him, a tug-a-war was in full swing. Currently, Kagome appeared to be winning as she braced one shapely leg against the oven door and was pulling for dear life at something Jaken held to his breast while blubbering apologetically.

Pale citrine blinked in consternation at the two combatants, wondering why Jaken was clutching so desperately to the butter knife.

Finally noticing Sesshoumaru's presence, Kagome bellowed in irritation.

"Don't just stand there! Doooooooo something! Jaken is trying to kill himself!"

With confusion, Kagome watched Sesshoumaru as he stepped past her and the hysterical little retainer who ceased struggling and opened the cutlery drawer quietly, retrieving the carving knife and lovingly passing his thumb over the blade.

Both stared at him google-eyed as he handed it reverently to Jaken with a graceful bow.

"I highly recommend this blade. It will pierce your sternum efficiently with a minimum of cleanup for the day staff."

Jaken fainted.

A bright flash of light arched across the night sky beyond the kitchen window.

Stepping over the now supine figure, Sesshoumaru extended his hand toward his mate.

"Come. Sit with me, Kagome."

"But what about…" the dark-haired beauty began to protest before noticing a bulbous eye at half-mast peaking at her beneath virulently green lashes.

"He has a tendency for the dramatic. You would do well to ignore him when he gets like this."

~~~ HM~~~

Sesshoumaru swung the ancient doors open, revealing the night sky in all its glory.

The hallowed moon lay at its center, resplendent in cool silvery dominion amidst the backdrop of twinkling stars.

Another arch of white light shot across the sky; quickly followed by another, then another.

Her breath caught mid gasp, not so much from the sight of the heavens above but because of what lay beneath. A tattered checked cloth lay that might have been white and orange once and atop it two pillows side by side, and a bud vase with a simple wild flower.

Sesshoumaru knelt, his gaze focused within as he spoke.

"Beyond the copse lay a shrine I have been building stone by stone. It is a dedication to a brave soul who saved my life without ever knowing it. She was compassion in a world that showed her none; born as she was to poverty and servitude. Ironically, the same unreserved compassion I find in you."

Kagome knelt quietly beside Sesshoumaru, listening without interruption. Her only acknowledgement of his statement was an open palm extended across his lap.

He gazed down at the open palm with a sharp intake of breath while arcs of light silently danced above unseen as long cool digits intertwined with his beneath the honeyed moon.

The Western Lord closed his eyes and continued.

"Her name was Rin. She was my ward."

**Author's Note:**

This is part three and the end of this series. I sincerely hope you enjoyed. It was fun to write.

Namaste

**EP**


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